Published: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 5:33 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 5:33 p.m.

Deer Prairie Creek Preserve is in south Sarasota County just east of the Myakka River, tucked away where most people would never notice.

The 10,000-acre-preserve doesn't attract throngs of people, and that's probably good for an area dedicated to nature and wildlife.

But people do hike the 75 miles of trails, and some bring their horses to the north entrance where they are allowed to ride on some of the byways. One edge of the preserve is a road that bicyclists use, too, and they can pedal in early morning or evening for a mile or two with a good chance of seeing deer.

That's if any of the hikers, riders and bikers still dare go to there. Approaching that north entrance requires using a nicely paved road known as Forbes Trail, and now that requires them to ignore a daunting sign a mile from the preserve entrance and, it would appear, have a willingness to trespass.

"Private Road, Keep Out" the signs warns. And in case anyone on a bike might think that refers only to those in a car or truck, the sign concludes with "No bicycles, No exceptions."

Karl Grass, who bikes to the preserve a few times a month, tells me he and some other area bicyclists are peeved. Grass just sent an email to several county officials asking what the heck that sign is all about, given that it is the only practical route into the preserve for him and many others. It is also the only one where horse trailer parking is allowed.

He has to like the response, to a point.

Amy Meese, the county's natural resource director, says that is the second such sign erected there, apparently by someone who lives along Forbes Road and wants to keep the public away.

But Meese said a check into the legalities and property records last time made it clear that the county and public have an an easement to use Forbes Trail for access to the preserve. County employees removed the first sign, late in November 2012, after about six weeks.

The current sign was first reported on Sept. 12.

"We have received 16 telephone calls on the sign," Meese said.

The county's position has not changed, though more checking is being done, Meese said. She also said the sheriff's office has been notified, in part because some of the reports have it that a property owner has set dogs loose on bicyclists to intimidate them.

I now find that easy to believe. When I parked my car by Forbes Trail on Wednesday to take a photo of the controversial "Private Road" sign, I heard dogs barking as if chained or penned up at a house nearby and much wanting to come and, um, greet me.

After a minute, the two dogs — one the size of a small pony, the other some kind of pit bull — were restrained no longer and came hurrying out, objecting noisily to my presence, though I was on the opposite side of the road. I get along well with most dogs, but I opted to get into my car and talk to them from there.

No human came trailing after them, but it certainly seemed that some idiot had set the hounds on me. And I had not yet even gone past the warning sign.

Those dogs could have been seriously daunting to anyone on a bike.

Meese said she is confident that "the neighbors have no right to exclude access." She says none have even stepped up to officially claim otherwise.

Even ignoring the easement, Meese added, no homeowner could reasonably claim to own the whole road anyway. Where the sign is posted, half of the road — the in-bound lane — is owned by the Catholic Church's Diocese of Venice, which is unlikely to be secretly posting "Keep Out" signs.

But as the sign is not blocking the road, there could be an issue: Though free to ignore that sign, is anyone allowed to remove it?

The county is, and plans to, Meese said.

"The sign that's there violates the county sign ordinance," she said. "We are working with code enforcement."

She has also contacted the Sheriff's Office, in case of problems with harassment of people who ignore the sign.

County Commissioner Christine Robinson also has sent Grass an email explaining some of this.

"I apologize you have encountered this sign," Robinson wrote.

But still no answer as to when that sign will be removed. And, meantime, one inquiry in Grass's email went unanswered: If it is not a private road, Grass asked, "what do you recommend I do if challenged when riding on it?"

Yeah, well, um, good question. And no wonder Robinson and others at the county side-stepped it. I mean, what sound advice is there for handling such an encounter, dogs included or not, on that sparsely traveled country road where someone emphatically wants you not to be?

<p>Deer Prairie Creek Preserve is in south Sarasota County just east of the Myakka River, tucked away where most people would never notice.</p><p>The 10,000-acre-preserve doesn't attract throngs of people, and that's probably good for an area dedicated to nature and wildlife.</p><p>But people do hike the 75 miles of trails, and some bring their horses to the north entrance where they are allowed to ride on some of the byways. One edge of the preserve is a road that bicyclists use, too, and they can pedal in early morning or evening for a mile or two with a good chance of seeing deer.</p><p>That's if any of the hikers, riders and bikers still dare go to there. Approaching that north entrance requires using a nicely paved road known as Forbes Trail, and now that requires them to ignore a daunting sign a mile from the preserve entrance and, it would appear, have a willingness to trespass.</p><p>"Private Road, Keep Out" the signs warns. And in case anyone on a bike might think that refers only to those in a car or truck, the sign concludes with "No bicycles, No exceptions."</p><p>Karl Grass, who bikes to the preserve a few times a month, tells me he and some other area bicyclists are peeved. Grass just sent an email to several county officials asking what the heck that sign is all about, given that it is the only practical route into the preserve for him and many others. It is also the only one where horse trailer parking is allowed.</p><p>He has to like the response, to a point.</p><p>Amy Meese, the county's natural resource director, says that is the second such sign erected there, apparently by someone who lives along Forbes Road and wants to keep the public away.</p><p>But Meese said a check into the legalities and property records last time made it clear that the county and public have an an easement to use Forbes Trail for access to the preserve. County employees removed the first sign, late in November 2012, after about six weeks.</p><p>The current sign was first reported on Sept. 12. </p><p>"We have received 16 telephone calls on the sign," Meese said.</p><p>The county's position has not changed, though more checking is being done, Meese said. She also said the sheriff's office has been notified, in part because some of the reports have it that a property owner has set dogs loose on bicyclists to intimidate them.</p><p>I now find that easy to believe. When I parked my car by Forbes Trail on Wednesday to take a photo of the controversial "Private Road" sign, I heard dogs barking as if chained or penned up at a house nearby and much wanting to come and, um, greet me.</p><p>After a minute, the two dogs — one the size of a small pony, the other some kind of pit bull — were restrained no longer and came hurrying out, objecting noisily to my presence, though I was on the opposite side of the road. I get along well with most dogs, but I opted to get into my car and talk to them from there.</p><p>No human came trailing after them, but it certainly seemed that some idiot had set the hounds on me. And I had not yet even gone past the warning sign.</p><p>Those dogs could have been seriously daunting to anyone on a bike. </p><p>Meese said she is confident that "the neighbors have no right to exclude access." She says none have even stepped up to officially claim otherwise.</p><p>Even ignoring the easement, Meese added, no homeowner could reasonably claim to own the whole road anyway. Where the sign is posted, half of the road — the in-bound lane — is owned by the Catholic Church's Diocese of Venice, which is unlikely to be secretly posting "Keep Out" signs.</p><p>But as the sign is not blocking the road, there could be an issue: Though free to ignore that sign, is anyone allowed to remove it?</p><p>The county is, and plans to, Meese said.</p><p>"The sign that's there violates the county sign ordinance," she said. "We are working with code enforcement."</p><p>She has also contacted the Sheriff's Office, in case of problems with harassment of people who ignore the sign.</p><p>County Commissioner Christine Robinson also has sent Grass an email explaining some of this.</p><p>"I apologize you have encountered this sign," Robinson wrote.</p><p>But still no answer as to when that sign will be removed. And, meantime, one inquiry in Grass's email went unanswered: If it is not a private road, Grass asked, "what do you recommend I do if challenged when riding on it?"</p><p>Yeah, well, um, good question. And no wonder Robinson and others at the county side-stepped it. I mean, what sound advice is there for handling such an encounter, dogs included or not, on that sparsely traveled country road where someone emphatically wants you not to be?</p><p><i>Tom Lyons can be contacted at tom.lyons@heraldtribune.com</i></p>